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70 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Early and Unpublished Neil Gaiman A Decidedly Mixed Bag, January 15, 2000
Genius only rarely appears at the height of its powers. The Napoleon of the siege of Toulon merely hinted at the glory to come. Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus is B-movie theater, especially compared to the majesty of "Hamlet" or "The Tempest". Unfortunately, the same is true of the man who reinvented the comics medium, Neil Gaiman, late of Sandman fame. The stories in this collection show the early evolution of this great fantasy writer, and those expecting Gaiman at the top of his game will be disappointed. "Jack in the Green" is a Swamp Thing story which comes across as well-meaning fan-fiction. "Brothers" is a hippy nostalgia trip that reads like an overlong Allman Brothers jam notable only for Gaiman's unease with DC's stable of superheroes and his penchant for strip-mining the most obscure characters. "Shaggy God Stories" continues in this vein with another Swamp Thing tale, this one featuring the Floronic Man and a much more autonomous Gaiman at the helm less beholden to Alan Moore and Rick Veitch. "Hold Me" is a weak Hellblazer story beautifully illustrated. The somber, elegaic mood of the piece will be instantly familiar to Sandman fans. "Sandman Midnight Theatre," is a masterpiece. Gaiman proves his ability to seamlessly incorporate other DC characters within his milieu while retaining there inherent characteristics. Truly inspired stuff, if you don't mind wading through the rest. Essential for Gaiman completists only.
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40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Like Gaiman 101, September 10, 2000
I remember my early philosophy classes covering the beginnings, the origins -- the ancient Greeks. As you got to higher course numbers, you got to read contemporary authors, people who had built upon the foundations of Plato and Aristotle, continuing a "call and response" dialogue with them and adding new concepts of their own. At least that's how it's supposed to work. I did it backwards, taking some 300 and 400 level classes before I decided to major in the subject. I'm rather glad it worked out that way -- and that's how it'll work for most readers of Midnight Days. This compilation is like Gaiman 101 because you get to see the foundations. I'd imagine that most buyers have already read Sandman. I found it fascinating to see little gems of what was to come twinkling through the growth. The "Brother Power" story I especially liked, as the Prez issue of Sandman was one of my favorites. "Hold Me" has been and always will be one of my favorite pieces -- McKean's art and the poignance of the writing make it Primary Gaiman, as far as I am concerned. It's the best piece in the collection, though I also enjoyed the last story very much. I really enjoyed it. It was a pleasure to watch the process and feel the author finding his way in some of the stories. I highly recommend it, especially for those who are waiting for his next offering to come out, and need a "Neil feeling" fix. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go read Sandman, and then come back and talk with me. :)
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53 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's Neil Gaiman, February 23, 2000
If I'd known what was in this book, I probably wouldn't have been so quick to spend so much money on it. But there it was on the shelf, and Downtown Comics was giving me a special discount because they like me, and it had the most gorgeous cover art. So I bought it. It's not a great book. Still, I can't say I'm sorry I bought it. It'll probably go out of print very quickly, and then I'll be glad to have it. I'm a Gaiman fanatic, you see. This is probably not a book for non-Gaiman fanatics. Certainly not a book for anyone who's just starting on Neil Gaiman. The stories. There were a couple of Swamp Thing stories. I'm not, other than Neil Gaiman's stuff, a comics-literate person: I'm a total stranger to Swamp Thing, although I may remedy this situation someday; but as it is, I was unable to appreciate these stories. They were OK, but I was mostly lost. Then there was a story called Brothers. I'm also unfamiliar with whatever comic this originally came from, and quite a lot of it passed over my head. But I still liked this story. It was more like the Gaiman I know; moving, with lingering images. Reminded me of some of the most mediocre Sandman (which is still a good thing). Then there was a story called Hold Me. Hmm. I think that I should read it again; I'm sure there was something I missed. It's a little hazy in my mind. Still, it was a wonderful story, with really gorgeous artwork. Lastly there was Sandman Midnight Theater. Dream's only in here for about 3 pages, but it was a very good story otherwise, if a little long; the best part was the artwork, quite breathtaking. Neil Gaiman has written an introduction to each of these stories as well, which is a definite bonus. All in all, a moderately good collection, though for Gaiman fans only. If you're not a fan, check out Sandman (Preludes and Nocturnes is the first) or one of his novels before this. The cover art helps make it worth the price--I'm in love with that picture. And the title. _Midnight Days_. Isn't that beautiful? Little things. The stories were generally pretty good. But I'd still like to see the one about the things living in John Constantine's fridge... :)
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